Yuryuzan – History of the Ironworks and Old Town Houses

The origins of Yuryuzan are closely linked to the Yuryuzan-Ivanovsky (Yuryuzansky) iron-smelting and ironworking plant. In 1758, it was decided to build a hammer mill. On February 22, 1763, the Yuryuzan ironworks began operating; iron production also began at that time. Thus, the two dates mark different stages: the decision to build and the start of work at the plant.

From Ironworks to Town Houses

The old two-storey town house at 52 Sovetskaya Street belonged to the wealthy merchant Yemelyan Ivanovich Chumanov. A large Russian stove stood on the ground floor, where pretzels, gingerbread and other confectionery were baked for Chumanov’s shops. The house thus combined living space with the production of goods for trade.

The single-storey brick house at 7 Karl Marx Street offers a different picture of urban living. It was built at the end of the 19th century and is considered an example of the home of a town resident with an average income; its distinctive artistic design and character are also part of its description. The two-storey brick building at 20 Sovetskaya Street is whitewashed on the outside and was probably built at the end of the 19th or beginning of the 20th century by a resident with an average income. Together, these examples allow a comparison between the home of a wealthy merchant and buildings associated with residents of average means.

The Church of the Nativity of Christ is located at 10-a Oktyabrskaya Street in Yuryuzan. In the town cemetery there is a mass grave of participants in the Great Patriotic War who died in a hospital in Yuryuzan between 1941 and 1945. Both places add religious and commemorative dimensions to the town’s history.

Nature in Chelyabinsk Oblast

There are three national parks in Chelyabinsk Oblast. Taganay National Park lies in the western part of the region, in the Taganay mountain cluster in the southern Urals. Its landscape includes rocky peaks, stone rivers, mountain streams, taiga and tundra. Chernaya Skala, at 853 metres, is one of the northern peaks of the Nazminsky Range and is made of white quartzite.

The “Ves’ Taganai za 600 shagov” ecological hiking trail is just over 1.5 kilometres long. It passes through scenic areas of the Chernaya Skala area and through natural complexes typical of Taganay National Park. The trail has a paved path and an observation platform, and is accessible to wheelchair users. The “Taganai za 600 shagov” excursion route is one of the easier routes in the park, is suitable for people of all ages and requires no special physical preparation. After the excursion, the group has free time for photography.

Zyuratkul National Park is also located in the highest part of Chelyabinsk Oblast. The easy ecological hiking trail to the Zyuratkul Range is six kilometres long one way and gains 460 metres in elevation; children can manage it too. The Malaya Medvezhya Trail starts in the settlement of Zyuratkul and is five kilometres long. The directional distance is important when comparing the routes: the six kilometres for the ridge trail applies to one way, while the Malaya Medvezhya Trail is listed as five kilometres.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Yuryuzan, you can first decide whether the town’s history or the nature and hiking trails of Chelyabinsk Oblast will be the focus of your trip. Check the current conditions of the hiking trails mentioned before visiting.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Cheremshanka, Troitsk, Rozhdestvenka, Zlatoust, Tatysh, Verkhny Ufaley, Miass, Gubernskoye

Return to the main travel overview: Chelyabinsk Oblast.